Fair and Balanced

June 9, 2002

Using a phrase from Fox News, readers who disagree with my point of view often ask, "Do you call that fair and balanced?" Actually, no, I don’t. Look at the name: Conservative Truth. I like to think that we provide what Paul Harvey calls, "The rest of the story."

Does all news and commentary need to provide both sides of every story? If there were a law requiring that, the executives of all the major broadcast networks and most big city newspapers would be in jail. It’s not my job to provide liberal lies along with the Conservative Truth.

We say that we provide an "Antidote to the Liberal News Media." Webster’s dictionary notes that an antidote is, "An agent used to neutralize or counteract the effects of a poison." I couldn’t have said it better myself, Mr. Webster. The lies that the liberal news media spew forth daily are indeed poison to our society. If we can play a part in neutralizing or counteracting that poison, we will have done a good day’s work.

What is "Conservative" and whose "Truth" are we talking about? Conservatives and liberals often define themselves in relation to one another. In order to get a clear picture of what a conservative is, let’s play "Antithesis." As you know, an antithesis is a word or phrase that is the exact opposite of another word or phrase. I will give you a word or phrase that represents commonly held conservative views, followed by its antithesis - the opposite word or phrase that describes the liberal viewpoint on the same subject.

Freedom of religion - Oppression of religion

Pro Life - Pro Death

Limited government - Government control of all aspects of life

Lower taxes - Tax everything possible

Family values - Destruction of the family unit

Patriotism - One-World government

Saving - Spending

Job creation - Welfare

Constitution - Judges creating laws

Public service - Abuse of power

Decisive action - Whining and complaining

Morals - Expediency

Normal families - Radical homosexual/ bisexual agenda

Education - Indoctrination

Please notice that I am describing conservatives and liberals, not Republicans and Democrats. Unfortunately, not all Republicans are conservatives. John McCain is a good example. Some Republicans vote for bills that increase taxes and government manipulation of our lives. These people are not true conservatives. Then there are Democrats who are surprisingly conservative much of the time. Georgia Congressman Zell Miller comes to mind. Some Democrats vote for bills that are both moral and conservative in nature. Unfortunately, that doesn’t happen very often.

What about the "Truth" part? New subscribers often say, "Send me the Truth" when they email their subscriptions to us. What Truth are we talking about? Well, it’s certainly not derived from Acts of Congress or Supreme Court decisions. And as much as I love the Constitution, I have to say that it is not the source of Truth. In point of fact, ALL the Truth found in the Constitution comes from the fount of all written Truth in this world, the Word of God.

Historians often point to English Common Law, The Mayflower Compact, our Constitution, or other great documents as the source of the laws that allow us to consider ourselves civilized. But where did the writers of these documents find the Truth upon which they based their writings? Who told them that killing or stealing was wrong? They certainly didn’t learn it from nature. Nature is brutal. Animals kill each other and take whatever they want based on their size and fighting ability.

The Bible was the standard used by the English in deciding what would be written into their laws. The Truth of the Word of God permeates the Constitution. Who endowed us with "certain inalienable rights" if not our Creator? The framers of the Constitution were just men like us. They had no power or authority to endow us with any rights. Without the Bible, mankind would not know that adultery is wrong, that a man lying with another man is perverted, that killing babies before they are born is an abomination.

So now you know what Conservative Truth is. Do I think I’m always right? Of course not. I simply do my best to present facts and commentary in a way that reflects the standards I see in the Bible. Much of what I write about has nothing to do with the Bible or religion. But everything I write is guided by principles I have learned from the Book of Books.

Tom Barrett is the Founder and Publisher of www.ConservativeTruth.org. He has written thousands of articles that have been republished in national newspapers and on hundreds of websites, and is a frequent guest on radio and television shows. His unique viewpoint on social, moral and political issues from a Biblical worldview have resulted in invitations to speak at churches, conferences, Money Shows, colleges, and on TV (including the 700 Club). Tom is also an expert speaker and writer on the subject of Biblical Finance, & is the Founder www.ChristianFinancialConcepts.com.